Costa Rica La Pira Estate Washed - Introduction to La Pira Estate and Costa Rican Coffee

Hacienda Piro: A Legacy of Excellence

Named after "PIRO," the nickname of Carlos's father Gilberto Urena, Hacienda Piro carries a history of 50 years. When Carlos inherited the family farm, he ran it as an organically certified coffee estate. But with organic certification came high costs, so in recent years Carlos has chosen a different approach: he raises goats and other animals inside the estate to graze on the weeds, doing away with chemical or organic herbicides entirely. Beyond their other economic value, the animals' manure fertilizes the coffee trees — and the result is coffee that is strikingly clean and distinctly sweet.

The estate sits within the Dota Valley, whose varied microclimates provide ideal temperatures for growing coffee.

Hacienda Piro delivered excellent results at the Cup of Excellence (COE) in 2009, 2011, and 2012, most notably taking third place in the 2011 C.O.E. with a high score of 88.85.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests the following brewing parameters:

Pour-over: V60 dripper, grind at 3.5 with Fuji R440, water temperature around 90°C

French Press: Recommended grind setting is 4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: Recommended grind setting is 4, water temperature between 90°C-91°C

AeroPress: Recommended grind setting is 3.5, water temperature 90°C

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a fuller-bodied take on this Costa Rican style, the French press rewards patience — and FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Gold Mandheling is the standout choice for a low-acid, oil-rich black coffee. One of Asia's most celebrated specialty coffees, it passes through one machine sort plus three rounds of hand selection to produce large, uniform, translucent beans; after a medium-dark roast it carries intense spice, caramel, cedar, and dark chocolate aromas, and the immersion brewing of a press pot draws out its thick body and generous oils.

If you prefer fragrant brightness instead, FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy — a custom blend of Costa Rican honey-processed coffee and Panamanian washed Gesha capturing the finest of Central America — steeps in the press pot into rose, citrus, grape, and dried blueberry aromatics, and turns to strawberry gummy sweetness with a splash of milk. For the press pot itself, FrontStreet Coffee suggests a coarse-sugar grind (setting 10.5 on an EK43s, or 26 on a C40 hand grinder), a 1:15 ratio (15g coffee to 225g water), water around 90°C, and a four-minute steep before pressing slowly and pouring gently.